How are lasers important in nuclear fusion research?

Scientists at the National Ignition Facility have produced record-breaking energy in a nuclear fusion experiment. Such fusion experiments, like the 2016 test shown in this colorized image, use powerful laser blasts to compress hydrogen fuel and kick off fusion.

Why is nuclear fusion bad for the environment?

Fusion is among the most environmentally friendly sources of energy. There are no CO2 or other harmful atmospheric emissions from the fusion process, which means that fusion does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions or global warming.

What is the most powerful laser?

ELI NP hosts the most powerful laser in the world with a power of 10 PW. The ELI project itself was initiated by Nobel Laureate Gérard Mourou and funded by the host nations as well as the European Regional Development Fund.

How a laser fusion experiment unleashed an energetic burst of optimism?

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory reported on Tuesday that by using 192 gigantic lasers to annihilate a pellet of hydrogen, they were able to ignite a burst of more than 10 quadrillion watts of fusion power — energy released when hydrogen atoms are fused into helium, the same process that occurs …

What are the effects of using nuclear fusion as a source of power?

Abundant energy: Fusing atoms together in a controlled way releases nearly four million times more energy than a chemical reaction such as the burning of coal, oil or gas and four times as much as nuclear fission reactions (at equal mass).

Why are lasers so powerful?

A mirror at one end of the laser tube keeps the photons bouncing back and forth inside the crystal. A partial mirror at the other end of the tube bounces some photons back into the crystal but lets some escape. The escaping photons form a very concentrated beam of powerful laser light.